Dans ses écrits, un sàge Italien Dit que le mieux est l'ennemi du bien. Or, "In his writings, a wise Italian says that the best is the enemy of the good."
Seth reminded me this morning of Voltaire’s awesome aphorism:
The perfect is the enemy of the good.
Blasted perfectionism!
What is it that motivates my urge to deliver outstanding customer service? It it economic sustainability? Greater profitability? Is it something more personal, such as a code of ethics? Or, is it something else?
Many years ago, a friend of mine was applying to medical residency programs, including the one at Yale-New Haven Hospital. “I had never been to Yale,” according to my buddy. “So, when my train arrived, I grabbed a cab. I told the driver to take me to the hospital and that I had 45 minutes to get to my interview.” (more…)
"At Foxcroft she was not only a top student but a basketball star and a member of the school’s elite riding club; during her years at Bennington, she became a top New England ski racer. Her father served as chairman of Union Pacific Corporation and built the Sun Valley Resort in Idaho in 1936. Here she honed her racing skills and trained with the women’s Olympic ski team." -- From the Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt Institute biography for Kathleen Harriman Mortimer
This morning’s New York Times obituary for Kathleen Harriman Mortimer reminded me of the benefits of having a leisure class. Of course, there was little about her that might be called leisurely.
One of the benefits is having engagingly written obituaries to read. Obituaries worthy of The Times of London. ["Noted RAF ace and antiquarian of Etruscan culture dies during Sudanese relief mission," ad arguendo.]
Then there’s Theodore C. Sorensen. Mr. Sorensen’s Oct. 31, 2010, obituary tells the story of life in sharp contrast to Mrs. Mortimer’s. He was not born of privilege. He did not have the advantages or good fortune of rich, powerful, smart and highly capable parents.
Yet, he must have had something going for him. Because his life became every bit as interesting and full of contrasts and accomplishments as any member of the “leisure class.”
Ted Sorensen reminds me that great content is all around me. It reminds me that, as a writer, I share in the rewards and burdens of story telling.
Great stories (and engaging content) are all around me. Provided I look.
My guess is that this would get my attention. Even in a hurry-up busy airport. Which is the point. When the point is to get found...and, maybe, be remembered.
There are a couple lessons from the Bingham law firm’s airport billboard.
Remember that ads mostly scratch the get-found part of the itch. They’re cognitive, left-brained creations.
Looking for a cool whiteboard? An affordable peel-and-stick that easily goes right onto your wall? Without an expensive, clunky frame? One that can be removed or re-positioned?
Opti-Rite is available via myvisualdisplay.com. This dry erase comes in rolls (minimum 6′), either 5′ or 4′ in height, and can be trimmed or left large.
Webspiration is a Web-based way for two or more to collaborate in real time from multiple locations. It delivers on what it claims to do.
